Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-04-09
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
A CONVENTION ORGANIZED AT HAR.
RlSBuRG, Pennsylvania.

The Object Stated In Two Speeches ny
Grand Master Workman Powderly-Ths
Chicago Carpenters still Out and Firm
Pennsylvania BTihers-Labor News.
HARRISBURG, Pa, April 8.-The Knights
Of Labor convention organized yesterday
afternoon by electing General Treasurer
Turner chairman and G.. NJ Paynter, OF
Columbia, secretary. The purport Of this
gathering il best explained in two speeches
which Grand Master Powderiy made, one
before the convention and another in tho
evening IN the hall OF the house of repre-
sentatives. There were about $50 delegates,
comprising fine body OF men. After or
ganization there was a secret session, In
which seven committees were appointed ~
which will be referred the various bills to BE-
considered by the convention.
The names of the men who compose these
committees It was decided to keep secret for
reasons hest known to Mr.. Powderiy, but
thers was no objection to making public the
purposes far which the committees were
nnI,lsd They will examine bills relating TO
the bitumno,is and anthracite coal mines
and mining iron industries, slate mining and
qnarrying, agriculture and lumber, oil and
oil production and miscellaneous subjects.
All the convention did besides routine work
was q, administer the oath OF secrecy To Of
ticlals Stenographer James r. Burke, Of
iittsburg. and to listen to Mr. Powderly.
Ills speech before the convention aud his
speech in the evening were indentical.
Abont 80 men and women crested hiIn with
hearty applause when he entered the house.
Representative Caffrey introduced him.
wlIereupm Mr. POwlerly said: -y3s
at is with feeling OF pride that I address
a meeting gathered in the honse Of represent
tatives OF my native state on tile question of
labor, not Gully M it relates to workingmeD
hut In n broader seilse az 1t relates to all I
feel it my duty therefore 10 speak In regar
to the c,n,ve,itirl here. ! called IL to bri, \
our organization together through their r Jp-
resentativess of the peoptc regardless OF patty
to confer with them OH measures ben citing
our state We are charged with being lob
byists-a lalsner lobby"
Mr.. Powi.rly here referred to an editorial
in Philadelphia paper which makes that
charge.
Lobbyists were here before Us and will b
here when we are gone, but we are not here
as lobbyists We came hers to say 10 the rep
such measure Is good, others are not Be
fore every election candidates ask the work
ing people to vote for them. They say do
30 and 81 and we will reilder an equivalent.
Having fliade this promise. wv. certainly
have a right to come and see II that promise
has been fulfilled. / have frequently beeIl
asked II such and such a bill IS good meas
IRE. As | knew nothing about the bills ]
generally sent them to the secretary Of the
the assembly In the locality where the in
auiry came from. In one instance r,sceives
u reply that such bin had never l,eem sten
there The title had been cut nff the orig
illal one, s.,ut to Harrisburg and another sub
stituted
I'VE made up o,lr minds that as we repre-
sent good portion of the commonwealth
we had right to see II pledges made had
been fulfilled. There is nothing in this that
is wrong nothing Of the lobbyist. We have
no bribe, no induceulent 70 offer. We give
you our reasons why We ask yOn to vote for
this or that measure, and leave the rest 10
Yourself when you come home and find You
voted ths wrong way We have right u
vote for the other fellow. Laughter and an
plausel That's the American idea More
laughter and applause.I We are charged
with being Anarchists, and favoring meas
ures that tend TO Anarchy. As chief of orr
organizations, 1 can say that nothing Of an
archy finds an abiding place III onr midst,
but monopolists want to make people believe
the contrary No matter what errors we
have committed in the past we have always
aimed at doing right We have pursued
line Of policy and found out things that are
right and wrong, but we always kept clear
= .l.i..er that hrinos nlium on our coui.-